Introduction to Faro, Portugal

FARO is the capital of the Algarve. Excellent beaches are within easy reach, and in summer there's quite a nightlife scene, as thousands of travellers pass through on their way to and from the airport, 6km west of town. Sacked and burned by the Earl of Essex in 1596, and devastated by the Great Earthquake of 1755, the town has few historic buildings. By far the most curious sight is the Baroque Igreja do Carmo (Mon–Fri 10am–1pm & 3–5pm, Sat 10am–1pm) near the central post office on Largo do Carmo. A door to the right of the altar leads to a macabre Capela dos Ossos (€1), its walls decorated with bones disinterred from the adjacent cemetery. This aside, the most interesting buildings are all in the old, semi-walled quarter on the south side of the harbour, centred around the majestic Largo da Sé and entered through the eighteenth-century town gate, the Arco da Vila. The cathedral here was heavily remodelled after the Great Earthquake and more impressive is the nearby Museu Arqueológico (Mon & Sat 2/2.30–5.30/6pm, Tues–Fri 9.30/10am–5.30/6pm; €2), installed in a fine sixteenth-century convent. The most striking exhibit is a third-century Roman mosaic of Neptune and the four winds, unearthed near Faro train station.

Taxis from the airport to the centre cost around €8, or take bus #16 (daily 8am–8.30/11pm, every 45min; €1), a twenty-minute journey to town. From June to October there is also a free Aerobus service (hourly 9am–8pm; not Tues) for air-ticket holders. The bus station is right in the centre, behind the Hotel Eva, across from the old town; you'll find the train station a few minutes beyond, up Avenida da República. There's a tourist office at the airport (daily 10am–midnight; tel 289 818 582), though the main office is near the harbour at Rua da Misericórdia 8 (Mon–Fri 9.30am–5.30/7pm, Sat & Sun 9.30am–12.30pm & 2–5.30/7pm; tel 289 803 604). Pensions are concentrated just northeast of the harbour. Casa de Hóspedes Adelaide (tel 289 802 383; £30–40/$48–64 [€44–58]), near the Igreja de São Pedro at Rua Cruz das Mestras 7–9, is the best budget choice – during the summer they also open the roof as a dorm (€10). Otherwise, among the better places are Pensão Madalena (tel 289 805 806; £30–40/$48–64 [€44–58]), Rua C. Bivar 109; Pensão São Félipe, Rua Infante Don Henrique 55a (tel 289 824 182; £20–30/$32–48 [€29–44]); and Residencial Pinto, Rua 1º de Maio 27 (tel 289 807 417; £20–30/$32–48 [€29–44]). The campsite (tel 289 817 876) is at Praia de Faro, and is always packed in summer – phone ahead; bus #16 from town. There are restaurants to meet most budgets: try the characterful Adega Dois Irmãos, Largo Terreiro do Bispo 13, or for something less expensive, cram in with locals at Adega Nova, Rua Francisco Barreto 24, close to the train station. The town's nightlife centres around cobbled Rua do Prior; Millennium III is the best club.

Information by Rough Guides

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